The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Hall of Honor
- Induction:
- 2010
- Class:
- 1984
Despite playing just one season at The University of Texas, Cummings is still regarded as one of the top tennis players in school history. When Cummings transferred to Texas from Colorado following her junior season (enrolled at Texas in the fall of 1982), she had already earned three All-America honors with the Buffaloes (1980-82) and reached the semifinals in singles play at the 1982 AIAW National Championships. In 1981, she also ranked as high as No. 48 in the world professionally and was the top-ranked amateur in the world while competing at Colorado. After sitting out one year due to NCAA transfer rules, Cummings earned All-America singles honors as a senior (1983-84) while posting a 29-7 singles mark in dual-match play and concluded the year ranked fifth nationally in the final ITA rankings. She was tabbed the 1984 Southwest Conference Player of the Year and was the league champion at No. 1 singles and No. 2 doubles. Cummings led the Longhorns to a 29-7 record, the SWC title and a trip to the NCAA quarterfinals. She advanced to the Round of 16 in singles and also competed in doubles at the 1984 NCAA Championship. Cummings earned the Jill A. Sterkel Award in 1984, an honor that recognizes a UT student-athlete who exhibits supreme leadership, competitiveness and graciousness. She was later selected to the SWC All-Decade Team for the 1980s along with fellow Longhorns Beverly Bowes and Susan Gilchrist. Cummings played three years (1984-86) on the professional tennis circuit in the United States, England, France and Australia, competing in all four Grand Slam events. Cummings earned her Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Texas in 1984 and went on to earn a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing from the University of Virginia in 1992. She has spent the last 18 years as a registered nurse and currently serves as a progressive care neonatal unit staff nurse at Henrico Doctors Hospital in Richmond, Va. Cummings resides in Midlothian, Va., with her husband, Steve Schmidt, and her son, Bogue.